Luxor East & West Bank: Private Day Tour with Tombs & Karnak

Summary

Walk between pharaohs’ tombs and Karnak’s shadows on a private Luxor day trip

You’ll step inside royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, feel ancient paint under your fingertips at Karnak Temple, eat spicy koshari for lunch, and hear stories from an Egyptologist who knows every crack in these stones. The heat is real but so is that sense of awe—you’ll carry it home with you.

What’s the experience like?

There was this moment in the Valley of the Kings when our guide, Hany, paused mid-sentence because the sun hit the painted ceiling just right. I’d seen photos before but standing there—dusty air, faint smell of old stone, my shirt sticking to my back—I felt weirdly small. Hany traced the gods with his flashlight, telling stories about Ramses III like he knew him personally. I tried to imagine what it must have sounded like here 3,000 years ago. It’s quiet now except for the shuffle of shoes and that distant echo you get underground.

I kept losing track of which tomb we were in—Merneptah? Ramesses IX?—but Hany never did. He even offered to take our photo next to some ancient graffiti (apparently Victorian tourists were just as bad as us). Outside, the heat hit hard so I drank half my water bottle in one go. We stopped at the Colossi of Memnon; two giant statues staring out over fields and traffic. A local kid waved at us from his donkey cart and I waved back, feeling a bit ridiculous but happy.

Lunch was koshari at a place where everyone seemed to know Hany. The sauce was spicy enough to make me cough—he laughed and told me that meant it was “proper Egyptian.” After that we crossed over to Karnak Temple on Luxor’s East Bank. The columns in the Hypostyle Hall are so big you can’t really fit them in a photo (I tried). Light filtered through dust motes and every stone had some story carved into it. At some point I just stopped trying to keep up with all the names and dates—just walked slow, touched the cool stone, listened to Hany talk about lotus flowers and old gods. I still think about that silence inside Karnak when everyone else wandered off for photos.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore Luxor West and East Banks

• Visit Valley of the Kings tombs
• See Tombs of Ramses, Horemheb, Merenptah, Tut
• Visit Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• See Colossi of Memnon statues
• Lunch break
• Tour Karnak Temple complex
• See Obelisks of Hatshepsut and Tutomosis I
• Visit Temple of Amon with lotus and papyrus designs

Top questions

Is hotel pickup included for this Luxor day tour?

Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off are included in your private tour.

What sites do you visit on this Luxor East & West Bank tour?

You visit Valley of the Kings (multiple tombs), Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, and Karnak Temple.

Is lunch provided during the tour?

Yes, a traditional Egyptian lunch (koshari) is included.

Are entrance fees covered?

All entrance fees are included in your booking price.

Is this Luxor tour suitable for wheelchairs or strollers?

The tour is wheelchair accessible and suitable for strollers/prams.

How long does this private day trip last?

The full-day tour typically lasts around 8 hours including transfers.

Will we have an Egyptologist guide?

Your guide is a certified Egyptologist who will accompany you throughout.

Are drinks included?

Bottled water is provided for each guest during the day trip.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off by luxury air-conditioned car, all entry fees to sites like Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple, bottled water along the way, a traditional koshari lunch (spicy if you want), plus all taxes and service charges—so you can just listen to stories without worrying about logistics.